Senator Chuck Shumer on Republican Efforts to Undermine the Economy

I want to talk today about the economy and jobs, and the concerns I have that not only has the Republican agenda jeopardized our recovery, but that political gamesmanship is trumping the vital needs of hard working Americans across the country.

It is time to stop beating around the bush and call it as it is. The evidence is clear: the Republican approach of ‘cut, cut, cut’ over the last six months has undermined our economic recovery.

Toward the end of last year, the recovery was gaining momentum – GDP grew 2.6% in the third quarter and 3.1% in the fourth quarter. But in the first half of 2011, as the federal government increasingly withdrew support from the economy and Republicans continually blocked us from doing anything to create jobs, growth has fallen to less than 2%.

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The Republicans can say all they want that we can cut our way to prosperity, but is at odds with all the empirical evidence we have. We know from history, as well as from what we are seeing in other parts of the world right now, that cuts on the scale they have proposed in the middle of a recession will lead to lower economic growth and less job creation, not more.

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And we need to start asking ourselves an uncomfortable question – are Republicans slowing down the recovery on purpose for political gain in 2012? It’s one thing for them to block programs they have always opposed. But when they start to contradict themselves by opposing programs they have supported—such as pro-business tax cuts—we are left to wonder.

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19 thoughts on “Senator Chuck Shumer on Republican Efforts to Undermine the Economy”

Thank you!!!! What the GOP is doing is amoral!!!!! So much for their ‘Christian’ agenda. If these alleged humanoids are Christians, I quit. It reminds me of Gandi’s words: “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” The worst part is that these people are so damned proud of themselves. How proud of themselves will they be when someone dies because they didn’t get their food stamps or Medicaid? Both programs are administered by the States and if they think they’re broke now, wait until they see the lawsuits!

It seems to me that the Republicans are now against anything Obama suggests simply because he suggested it, whether it’s economic policy, or an increase in troops or a decrease in troops, etc. Yes, thank you for this post, Paul.

I’m a bit out of the loop lately but it seems to me that Team Republican is trying to field a bunch of nutty people for the next presidential race. Even though the rock star has betrayed his base, he might win just by not being crazy. The GOP’s risky plan may be to make things worse, lay the blame on Obama hoping that more former believers stay home on election day, and then rent a lot of buses to get their side to the polls.

Alan, I couldn’t enter comments on your Typepad blog today. I don’t know whether the problem is with my computer or is more widespread. I’m also having some trouble with Google Blogger blogs. You might want to check, though, to see whether you can enter text into your comment box.

Schumer makes a good case that spending is what’s required to climb out of this depression. Unfortunately, he has also been publicly buying into the frame that deficits are important right now, when just about any serious economist knows better.

Until the Democrats just stop saying that the deficit is an important issue right now, they’re going to keep being on the defensive.

Straight out of Chicago and you guys, willngly or not, through the I.M.F. and the World Bank are imposing those same policies on the world. When everybody goes bankrupt and the streets erupt in the good U.S. of A. maybe, just maybe, the Chicago school will close shop.

The real solution? Create more government jobs, bigger unions to monitor and protect those jobs, and more government programs to take care of all Americans and other countries who need the support of our government. Fund all of this by taxing business heavily and controlling everything they do, more licensing and operating fees for all Americans, and huge tax increases for everyone who is still working–especially the wealthy. That should solve nearly all of our problems. Government will provide all of our needs and guarantee us most of what we want and will really be in charge like government should be. Yeah, that should work well–that’s the kind of country I’d like to live in since the right kind of government should know more about what we should have than any of us do.

I’m curious. Are those actions anyone actually proposes, or are you tossing out a straw man fallacy of logic for your amusement? If someone has actually proposed such things, then could you please support your statement by identifying the person(s) and providing a link or reference to your sources.

I don’t have a memory bank of quotes stored up and I’m not going to do a lot of research to cite specific examples, but I have heard these and similar ideas proposed throughout my lifetime. I’m merely looking at it logically to know that too much government interference through excessive taxation and regulation will break us as a people especially when compounded with the greed of government officials and government workers.

I can cite the problems we are facing in my home state of California. A lot of people in the government and benefiting financially from the government are out for the short term gain and not even thinking about the real world.

Thank you for your response, Lee. I have some concerns about it, though. Please allow me to express those concerns.

I don’t have a memory bank of quotes stored up and I’m not going to do a lot of research to cite specific examples, but I have heard these and similar ideas proposed throughout my lifetime.

It would seem you wish to make several claims about, I presume, Democrats, Liberals, or Progressives, but you want to be excused from the necessity of supporting your claims with evidence, other than to assure me you have heard such ideas proposed throughout your lifetime.

Well, Lee, I try not to buy into notions that contradict what I myself believe to be true unless I am presented with adequate reasons to buy into those notions. “Reasons” being reliable facts presented in the context of sound logic.

I think what you’ve done here is present me with a straw man. That is, you have said that Democrats, Liberals, and Progressives — or whoever it is you are against — are in favor of certain things that they do not, in fact, appear to be in favor of. The burden of proof is on you to show that they do favor those things. And that is something you appear reluctant to do.

So, my concern here is whether you are now going to retract what you’ve said, or you are now going to back it up. An alternative to either option would be to qualify your statements as merely your opinion. The choice is yours.

But the one option you don’t have — and I am quite serious in saying you do not have this option on my blog — is to use my blog as your personal platform from which to shovel nonsense at me. So please don’t post again unless you are either going to back up your earlier remarks, or retract those remarks, or qualify them.

I apologize if I come across as harsh, Lee, but many people these days are either intellectually dishonest or simple-minded. I’m not saying you’re either one of those. But until I know for sure I’m dealing with an honest, rational man, I am going to be cautious.

Sorry for intruding upon your exclusive little blog domain with my flippantly sarcastic opinion. I can see this is no place for humor or silly banter. This is a totally serious blog that is out of my league and since I’m not receiving a grade or college credit, and I’m not being paid to spend a great deal of time with my comments, I will leave you and your little club to pat each other backs and praise each other’s comments. Personally I’m not interested in joining your choir and I have other things to do.

Sorry for inadvertently wandering in this field and saying something that upset you folks.

No need to apologize for having a difference of opinion, Lee, but I do believe you owe an apology for trying to bullshit us. I’m not at all sorry that you feel put out when called on to support your nonsense.

No apologies for anything I said in regard to my difference of opinion. I don’t see it as nonsense if it is my opinion and whatever I said stands. It’s not so much that I feel put out as it is that I’m not as vehement about the issue as you and your pals are and my focus is elsewhere.

Actually I came over to your blog based on what I interpreted as a pleasant comment you had made elsewhere (I now forget which blog) and I was curious to see what your blog was about. I had no idea. I am always looking for new blogger friends who have similar interests as I. Now I know and it’s all cool. You guys go ahead and do what you do and I’ll stick to my side of the neighborhood. It’s pretty much like things are in the real world isn’t it?

I don’t see it as nonsense if it is my opinion and whatever I said stands.

On the contrary, what you say does not stand. It does not stand, because you failed to support it. If you had tossed it out as an opinion, Lee, you would have been OK. But you tossed it out as fact. Did you expect your alleged “facts” to be blindly accepted? To be accepted without your providing reasonable grounds to accept them? If so, you have some pretty strange standards for accepting things as factual.

You have a right to claim certain things are facts, Lee, but you do not have a right to expect others to believe you — especially if you are unwilling or unable to support your claims.

Consequently, so far as I am concerned, you still owe an apology for attempting to bullshit us.

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